- Explain to interested patients that this study found that binge-drinking may reduce levels of essential fatty acids.
- Point out that increased fish consumption may help maintain or improve essential fatty acids levels.
- Note that the findings came from a retrospective review of data, not a randomized clinical trial.
BETHESDA, Md., July 25 -- Binge-drinking men consume inadequate amounts of essential fatty acids, possibly contributing to the adverse health consequences of too much alcohol(Drug information on alcohol), investigators here have concluded.
As alcohol consumption increased in men, dietary intake of total saturated fatty acids, total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and total polyunsaturated acids (PUFA) decreased significantly (P=0.001 to P<0.0001), an NIH team reported in the online edition of the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Moreover, the increasing frequency of binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks a day, was associated with significant decreases in all three categories of essential fatty acids (P=0.004 to P=0.001), the investigators added.
A significant inverse relationship between binge drinking and intake of omega-3 PUFA, or n-3 fatty acid, is particularly concerning, noted Norman Salem Jr., Ph.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and colleagues.
